An Understanding Heart

Apostle Grace Lubega

1 Kings 3:9(KJV); Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

If a man must seek God, he ought to do so with an understanding heart. The Bible says seek and you shall find (Matthew 7:7).

However, seeking and finding is not the completeness of this divine equation.

For a man to find God, that man must have an understanding heart.

What then is an understanding heart?

The Amplified Bible Version of our theme scripture reads thus, “So give Your servant an understanding mind and a hearing heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and bad. For who is able to judge and rule this Your great people?”

The Message Bible rendering is , “Here’s what I want: Give me a God-listening heart so I can lead your people well, discerning the difference between good and evil. For who on their own is capable of leading your glorious people?”

An understanding heart is a hearing heart; it is a heart that listens to God.

When you seek God, your spirit must be open to hear Him. God is not silent. He is ready to show you the way; to point you to the idea you need; to reveal how you can get out of what you are going through.

Prayer and Communion are not a monologue or a one sided conversation.

Hear Him.

FURTHER STUDY: Matthew 7:7-8, 1 John 5:14

GOLDEN NUGGET:
When you seek God, your spirit must be open to hear Him. God is not silent. He is ready to show you the way; to point you to the idea you need; to reveal how you can get out of what you are going through.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for this wisdom. What a blessed assurance to know that you hear me when I call; you are not far from me; you are the God who is ready to do exceedingly and abundantly above. I yield my spirit and heart to hear your voice every day and every where.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Heart Of A Seeker

Apostle Grace Lubega

Ezra 7:10(AMP); For Ezra had prepared and set his heart to seek the Law of the Lord [to inquire for it and of it, to require and yearn for it], and to do and teach in Israel its statutes and its ordinances.

Every Christian who is hungry to see God must commit and set their heart to seek Him.

The reason why some start and fail and claim that God is far is because their hearts were not made up to seek Him.

Ezra made seeking God a life mission. The Bible says that he prepared and set his heart.

In the scriptures, the men who sought God and found Him did not do so from impulse because they had listened to one message that stirred them up.

They did not do so out of a temporary desire to do something extraordinary. It was not a passive wish seeking fulfilment.
It was a deep desire that was cultivated, built and acted upon.

Besides seeking Him, Ezra’s desire was to do the will of God.

He was a man who was desperate to do the things He had learned from God and to live them out as the constant reality of His life.

We live in a generation of Christians whose desire for the things of God is stuck between “the altar and the door.”

Their aim in seeking God is not to live out the message but rather to exploit what the message will attract to their hands.

Ezra also desired to teach the will of God to the people of Israel.

Teaching is not just for the man or woman of God on the pulpit. Every fabric of the life of a seeker is a sermon to his world.

This is the heart of a seeker.

It is a heart that is made up to see God; a heart that is yielded to the fulfilment of the will of God; a heart that desires to teach the will of God because a seeker does not seek God only for himself.

FURTHER STUDY: Jeremiah 29:13, Psalm 42:1

GOLDEN NUGGET:

The heart of a seeker is a heart that is made up to see God; a heart that is yielded to the fulfilment of the will of God; a heart that desires to teach the will of God because a seeker does not seek God only for himself.

PRAYER: Loving Father, my soul and heart longs for you. You are the object of my desire and the rhythm of my heart beat. You have promised that if I seek you with all my heart, I will find you. May this hunger define my waking and sleeping; my days and nights; my mornings and evenings; my comings and goings; my meditations and my silences. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Of Access And The Deeper Place

Apostle Grace Lubega

Hebrews 9:8-10(KJV); The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.

In the Old Testament dispensation, men sought access to God through gifts and sacrifices. They sought Him through meats, drinks, diverse washing and carnal ordinances. The Bible says that these did not make he that did the service perfect.

Regardless of all that they did, the sacrifices that were made and the gifts that were offered, the way into the holiest of holies was not made manifest.

Think about it for a moment.

Year after year, they sacrificed to God. For example, in 2 Chronicles 7:5, Solomon sacrificed twenty-two thousand head of cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. 

No amount of external and outward performance could reveal the way into the deepest places in God.

In all this, God sought to communicate to the Church that access to the highest level of His presence is through the inward things rather than the outward things.

For as long as men depended on what they could do for God through their own power, they would never access the highest level of His presence.

It took one sacrifice for God to tear the veil and give us this access. Now, we have access not by anything that we do but by what Christ did at Calvary and what He has done in us.

His name be praised!

FURTHER STUDY: John 14:6, Hebrews 10:19-22

GOLDEN NUGGET:
Access to the highest level of the presence of God is through the inward things rather than the outward things. We have access not by anything that we do but by what Christ did at Calvary and what He has done in us.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for this Word. The veil was torn and I have access into the holiest place; to the deepest level of your presence. My heart is yielded to your Spirit as you launch me deeper in you.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

To Focus On His Grace

Apostle Grace Lubega

Romans 6:23(KJV); For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The wages of sin is death.

However, God balances the equation and tells us that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.

There are many people who are stuck in the first part of this scripture. They are always conscious of the “power” of sin and it’s consequences.

This is the basis on which they relate with God; how they commune; how they serve Him and how He is preached.

God wants you to look at the second part of that scripture and make it the focus of your consciousness.

The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.

The life that we have received in Christ has the ability to destroy any weakness, its consequences and the power to continue in that weakness.

That life works effectually to kill whatever you are battling with in the flesh. This does not mean in any way that we underestimate sin and abuse our liberty in Christ.

Set your eyes on what Christ has done and has given to us. Focus on what saves and not on what kills; Take your eyes from what you have done and meditate on the glory of the gift of eternal life.

God’s name be praised!

FURTHER STUDY: Romans 5:12, Romans 5:21

GOLDEN NUGGET:

The life that we have received in Christ has the ability to destroy any weakness and its consequences in your life.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for this Word. I have received the gift of eternal life and it works in me mightily. The life that I have, destroys sin in my flesh; overcomes weakness and supplies strength for me to live in accordance with the perfect will of God. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Labourers With God – 1

Apostle Grace Lubega

1 Corinthians 3:9(KJV); For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.

We are labourers with God.

Even as we build the kingdom and minister the gospel to the world, He labours in us; supplying wisdom, sufficiency and strength.

I have known ministers and servants of God who have fainted in their service to God. Why? They did not understand that they are labourers together with God.

The ministry has become too much of a burden for others. Some have been drained of their resources so much that one may be tempted to think that they love the work of the gospel more than God Himself does or that they love people more than God loves them.

As a co-labourer with God, what does not defeat God cannot defeat you. What does not fail Him cannot fail you. What does not diminish Him cannot diminish you.

This is the attitude you must embrace in your service to God. Ministry cannot be difficult for a man who understands this truth about their service to God.

This is the mind with which we do great exploits for the kingdom; the mind with which we withstand persecution; we labour with God.

Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: Colossians 1:29, John 5:17-19

GOLDEN NUGGET:
As a co-labourer with God, what does not defeat Him cannot defeat you. What does not fail Him cannot fail you. What does not diminish Him cannot diminish you.

PRAYER: My Loving Father, I thank you for this Word. Thank you because you labour in me and through me mightily. I have sufficiency because you do exceedingly, abundantly above what I can hope or ever expect. I am revived in my service to you because I labour with you. I am strengthened in my service to you because I labour with you.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Of Freedom And Service

Apostle Grace Lubega

Exodus 9:1 (KJV); Then the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

Every Christian has been called into a life of service to God. He snatched you out of the hand of the enemy, blessed you with eternal freedom so that you may serve Him.

The service that God requires of us does not lead to bondage because He is a good and faithful master. On the other hand, any service to the enemy is a service in bondage and will end in destruction.

If you have been in the gospel for a while and are not serving God, it does not matter how wealthy you are or what your station is in life, you are bound.

It is our service to God that truly defines our freedom in the gospel. This has nothing to do with how much spare time you have on your hands; it has nothing to do with your schedule.

There is a man with no job, no pressing business commitments or family engagements who is doing nothing for the kingdom. That man is bound. There is another who is too busy to spare a moment for the gospel; he is running with three jobs to make ends meet. This man is also bound.

Service to God has everything to do with your heart. Regardless of how hectic your life is, if your heart pants after service to God, you will always find a way to serve.

We have been anointed to serve Him. It is our responsibility and privilege as children of the Most High God.

You must find something to do for the kingdom. It doesn’t matter how meagre the task, serve in the blessed assurance that you are doing it unto God!

FURTHER STUDY: Hebrews 6:10, Colossians 3:23

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Service to God has everything to do with your heart. If your heart pants after service to God, you will always find a way to serve.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for this instruction in wisdom. You have delivered me from the hand of he that was mightier than I. I am free to serve and I do so with diligence and excellence.
I am available for the work of the ministry and for the gospel because herein is my true liberty. There is no greater honour than to serve the Living God. I rejoice in this truth every day, to the glory of your name, Amen.

Of Experience And Revelation

Apostle Grace Lubega

Ephesians 4:13-14(KJV); Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.

Every Christian should strive for maturity.

Maturity has nothing to do with physical age. It comes through two facets: experience and revelation.

There are lessons that experience can teach. However, there are also lessons that revelation can teach.

Some people disqualify men who function under the Spirit of revelation because they assume that only experience can teach a man, but understand that there are things you will never learn by experience, they must be revealed.

Practicing something over and over again does not mean that one carries the revelation or full understanding of it.

The Spirit of revelation redeems spiritual time. It helps you restore what has been eaten by the canker worm, the eater worm or any other time destroying ploys of the enemy (Joel 2:25).

Revelation restores what you may have lost in the past years, positions these things ahead of you and gives you the opportunity to get right what you may have failed at in the past.

Experience on the other hand, does not do that. It makes you a better person in preparation for your next step in life.

As a Christian who desires to grow in God, you cannot embrace one and disregard the other.

Embrace revelation because it is God’s redemptive power; embrace experience too because it fortifies your knowledge.

FURTHER STUDY: Ephesians 1:17; Deuteronomy 29:29

GOLDEN NUGGET:
Maturity has nothing to do with physical age. It comes through two facets: experience and revelation.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for this wisdom. I embrace it for my maturity. Revelation works in my life and opens my eyes to the realities of the spirit. In understanding, I reap the benefits of experience and learn from it. My heart is open to everything that contributes to my growth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

To Desire Depth

Apostle Grace Lubega

Psalms 107:17-18(KJV); Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted. Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.

In the realm of the spirit, it is foolishness to abhor (regard with disgust, hatred or to despise) meat.

Meat in the scriptures is used to refer to deeper truths in God. In 1 Corinthians 3:2, Paul refrains from feeding the Corinthian church on meat because they were still carnal and babes. In Hebrews 5:13-14, the Bible reveals that strong meat belongs to the mature.

To abhor meat is to abhor greater depths in God; it is to despise revelation and deeper knowledge in and of God.

The Bible says of such men that they draw near unto the gates of death. Every time you reject deeper truth, you expose yourself to the attacks of the enemy.

Revelation preserves!

The more truth you yield your spirit to, the more fortified your walls and your gates will be.

There is so much in God and it is easily and freely available.

The Corinthian Church was not denied meat. They abhorred it because they were not ready to grow up.

In John 16:12-14, it was not the desire of Christ to deprive the disciples of meat but they abhorred it because their spirits were not ready to bear heavy insights.

The wisdom of God calls us to hunger and desire for greater depths in Him.

Wise men are seekers! They dig deep; they study hard and search relentlessly.
His name be praised!

FURTHER STUDY: Hebrews 5:13-14, John 16:12-14

GOLDEN NUGGET:
In the realm of the spirit, it is foolishness to abhor meat. To abhor meat is to abhor greater depths in God; it is to despise revelation and deeper knowledge in and of God.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for this Word. Thank you for the deep and unsearchable truths in you. I know that there is more in you and it is this more that I pant and hunger after. I have seen, touched and tasted you but I can never have enough because to know you is to want to know you more. My heart and my spirit are open for deeper insights in you.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

A Life In The Word – 2

Apostle Grace Lubega

Matthew 7:24-27(MSG); These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock. But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.

The Word of God is more than an incidental addition to your life. It is the foundation on which to build a life on.

Think about it for a moment.

What is your life really built on? Money? Family? Fame? Friends?

A life in the Word is one that does not merely use the word ‘in Bible studies’ like our theme scripture says but works the word of God into its very fabric.

When your life is built on the Word, it doesn’t matter how strong the storm is, you will stand.

What is the main trait of a man whose life is built on the Word?

The continuation to our theme scripture says, ‘When Jesus concluded his address, the crowd burst into applause. They had never heard teaching like this. It was apparent that he was living everything he was saying—quite a contrast to their religion teachers! This was the best teaching they had ever heard.’ (Matthew 7:28-29).

When your life is built on the Word, you live everything you say!

If the Word says believe, you believe! If the Word says pray, you pray! If the Word says serve, you serve!

Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: 1 Timothy 4:15, Colossians 3:16

GOLDEN NUGGET:

When your life is built on the Word, you live everything you say!

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for your Word. My life is built on it. There is nothing about my life that does not have a foundation in your Word. I stand through storms because my life is built on the Word. I scale mountains because my life is built on the Word. I overcome the things that cause some to fail because my victory stems from the Word. I have chosen to believe it, in all things and at all times.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

A Life In The Word – 1

Apostle Grace Lubega

Proverbs 4:20-22(KJV); My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

Every principle you need to live a great and successful life is in the scriptures. Even the men and women who author books on success borrow from these time tested principles.

In 2 Peter 1:3-4, the Bible reveals that God has given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness. You have everything that you need to live a godly life.

However, all these things are in His Word. The Word will show you the how of ministry; the how of business; the how of marriage; the how of parenting; the how of innovation; the how of health and everything in between!

Do you read the word as an emergency appeal? Do you open the Bible to find a fix for a current situation? Do you run to it only in times of trouble? Do you read it merely to preach a sermon on Sunday? Do you read it so you can find a new revelation to splash on social media?

In Deuteronomy 4:6, after the Lord gave to the children of Israel His statutes, He said, ‘this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’

Living and breathing the scriptures is what will make you wise in the eyes of the world.

Have the Word everywhere; in your car, your house and at your workplace. Make the choice not to merely visit the Word; live in it!

Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: Colossians 3:16, Deuteronomy 11:18-21

GOLDEN NUGGET:
Make the choice not to merely visit the Word; live in it!

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for the gift of your Word. It is my life, my firm foundation and the light for my feet. I choose to study it like my life depends on it, because it does. I invest in it with all that I have because it is more precious than anything money can buy. It dictates my every action, response and decision. I am not just a believer, I am a Word being. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Of Mastery Of Words – 2

Apostle Grace Lubega

Psalm 19:14(KJV); Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

The heart speaks.

In our theme scripture, David speaks of the meditation of the heart.

In Deuteronomy 8:17, God tells the children of Israel, ‘And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.’

All this means is that our hearts are always speaking.

Mastery over words requires that the words of your mouth are aligned with the words of your heart.

There are people who confess positively with their mouths and yet their hearts are saying different things.

In fact, the war for them is not against the circumstances they face but between what their lips are confessing and what their hearts are saying.

If you confess positively and yet your heart is speaking negatively, do not expect positive results.

One of the ways you know that the heart is speaking contrary to your positive confession is when there is fear present in your spirit —that is the heart speaking.

Deal with the heart! Speak to it, rebuke fear out of it. After you have done that, resume positive confession.

The words of your mouth cannot be acceptable to God when the meditations of your heart are not.

Thus, exercise both the mouth of your body and the mouth of your heart to speak in line with the Word of God.
Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY: Psalm 104:34, Proverbs 23:7

GOLDEN NUGGET:
Mastery over words requires that the words of your mouth are aligned with the words of your heart. Exercise both the mouth of your body and the mouth of your heart to speak in line with the Word of God.

PRAYER: Loving Father, I thank you for this truth. My tongue is tamed to the glory of your name. Deeper than this, the meditations of my heart beat in tune with your Word. I speak the very things that I have believed. The confessions of my lips are true because they resound from the depth of my heart. In Jesus’ name.

Of Mastery Of Words – 1

Apostle Grace Lubega

James 3:2(KJV); For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

There are people who know how to confess right. They have practiced this over and over again but they have not seen the results of these confessions because they do not have mastery over their words.

Speaking in line with the Word of God is a very good thing. The ability to curb your tongue from uttering negativity is divine. However, you must reach a place of mastery in this.

There is a Christian who finds himself speaking negative things over situations in his life and then quickly remembers to speak positively. He checks his account and says, ‘Oh, I am so broke today!’ He then remembers that Christ was made poor that he may be rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).

So he confesses, ‘ I am rich, I am rich.’ He may wake up with an ailment in his body and moan, ‘I am so sick…’ He then quickly remembers the scripture that says ‘In Zion, none will say. “I am sick.” So he confesses, ‘I cannot be sick. I cannot be sick!’

If you still find yourself cancelling your negative confessions, you have not yet attained mastery over your words.

Mastery is when your spirit is exercised enough to speak in line with the Word no matter the situation.

Mastery is when your reflexes are Word reflexes. Mastery is when your reactions are Word reactions.

Mastery is tested the most when one is under pressure. How do you respond when everything seems to be against you?

Exercise your spirit to have only positive utterances even in the most intense circumstances.
Glory to God!

FURTHER STUDY: Philemon 1:6, Psalms 19:14

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Mastery over words is tested the most when one is under pressure. Exercise your spirit to have only positive utterances even in the most intense circumstances.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for this truth. The words on my lips and the meditations of my heart are pleasant unto you.
No matter the circumstance, I confess in line with your Word. I am perfect in speech and the communication of my mouth acknowledges who I am in Christ at all times. No storms compromise the confession of my lips. No fires can consume the truth of the Word in my mouth. No mountains can dry the truth of who I am in you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.